A leading island estate agent fears businesses will ’collapse’ because he claims they have been ignored during the Covid-19 crisis.

Mark Canty, director of Cowley Groves, has painted a grim picture of the problems he says are facing estate agents who buy and sell property in the island.

In a letter to the Chief Minister Howard Quayle, Mr Canty said: ’I work within an industry that hasn’t been referred to once in any media briefing.

’We fall under professional services yet are not being given guidelines, we have sectors within our industry that are being allowed to work but others are not - the whole thing is a total mess and yet our contribution to the economy is huge, not just in terms of employees and VAT but also due to the Land Registry fees we generate on a daily basis.

’Estate agents island-wide have approximately £750,000 in land registry fees sitting "under offer" waiting to progress.’

Mr Canty points out surveyors have been told they can operate within people’s homes under guidelines because they come under the construction umbrella.

’Most surveyors work for estate agents yet, as agents, we are not able to visit homes, list property or carry out viewings despite our counterparts in Guernsey opening up 10 days ago with very sensible yet strict guidelines in place.

’Do government realise that for a surveyor to operate properly they have to effectively poke about in a vendor’s home?

’For a viewing we simply have to leave all doors open, make sure we are not in the property at the same time as the vendor or viewer and have a disclaimer signed asking questions relating to recent symptoms and the risks that may be involved if entering another’s home - absolutely zero human-to-human contact, absolutely zero need to open or touch things within the property and overall less risk than if you were to go to the shops.’

Mr Canty added: ’We simply cannot operate without carrying out the essential part of our job and right now as agents we are receiving salary support that doesn’t even equate to 30 per cent of our payroll, let alone the overheads that go with it.

’Something needs to be done and fast. The guidelines are there to follow and surveyors are clearly being granted access to homes so it isn’t as if we are asking for special treatment in any way shape or form.’

Mr Canty issued this warning: ’Our industry will collapse if something isn’t done sooner, it’s now becoming clear that the salary support scheme should’ve been means tested and wasn’t, the timescales for getting the island back on track seem to be lagging drastically and people are suffering.

’I would love nothing more than to get back to work but am being restricted to do so along with the rest of our industry.’

The Cowley Groves director points out in his letter that initially he was ’ecstatic’ with how the island reacted in March to what could have been ’a potentially devastating situation’.

A government spokesman told Business News: ’Whilst we have been allowing a phased return to work as part of the move to ’’Stay Safe’’, this will be in a measured and gradual basis and will only be considered if and when it is safe to do.

’This approach involves managing different sectors of the economy, analysing their risk profile and developing guidelines and advice in direct consultation with the relevant sectors.

’This work is ongoing and liaison with specific sectors has been co-ordinated by the Department for Enterprise working with other departments and Public Health. As part of the broader return of the construction sector - there have been many additional trades who may have need to enter someone’s property which requires further guidance to be agreed. In the case of estate agents, the Department for Enterprise, as co-ordinators of this guidance, have been working directly with a number of estate agents to clarify and develop rules that will allow safe entry and inspections.

’This guidance has now been approved and is live on the website for the industry to review and implement accordingly.

’Consequently, having now agreed this guidance, estate agents and valuers may now enter domestic and commercial premises provided that they follow the new guidance and the Government’s overall social distancing measures.

’This does not yet allow for public viewings which will be considered as part of a wider review on cross household visits.’

* Isle of Man Newspapers quizzed Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly at a press briefing on April 25 over whether the Council of Ministers was considering allowing estate agents to return to work, as is the case in Guernsey.

He replied: ‘Like everything, we will take things in a phased approach,’ he said.

‘So we will monitor and I believe we have done this is in the right way.

‘We will look to see what happens elsewhere and industry’s been really good to share that information with us so we can analyse that to understand is this going to work here for us here in the Isle of Man.’